


Power Struggle

by NurseKristine



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-01
Updated: 2017-08-01
Packaged: 2018-12-09 16:28:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11672835
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NurseKristine/pseuds/NurseKristine
Summary: Jane Lewis transfers to Hogwarts, where she develops a complex set of relationships with Draco Malfoy and Severus Snape. non-canon compliant. Alternate universe. Slow burn.





	1. Setting the Scene

Minerva walked quickly to the gate at the edge of the school grounds – she knew the girl would be arriving any minute and did not want to risk having her waiting outside the grounds in the event that the girl was early. Minerva had a feeling the girl would be there at any moment, although the girl was not expected to appear until fifteen after two. It was only one forty-five at the moment, but Minerva kept her fervent pace nonetheless. The professor’s intuition had been right, as the girl appeared merely minutes after Minerva McGonagall reached the gate.   
Although having met the girl only once before, Minerva knew it was her who approached. She was immediately recognizable from her walk- it was one of confidence and poise without arrogance, the same walk the girl had Minerva had first met her, several years ago. ‘I guess I should stop referring to her as a girl now’ Minerva thought in her head. Alas, the one who walked towards the gate had the air of womanhood about her. The girl – woman – smiled as she approached the gate. Her dirty blond hair was placed in a messy bun on the top of her head and she wore plain black robes over black slacks and a black and white striped blouse that swayed in the wind. Minerva noticed movement over the girl’s shoulder and saw a suitcase meandering along the path a few paces behind the woman, and smiled at the girl’s, no woman’s, stubbornness.   
“Hello, again, professor McGonagall”, the woman’s voice was calm and without any of the girlish foolishness that other students her age held. The woman was only seventeen, but held such a countenance as that of someone in their thirties. “Good afternoon, Ms. Lewis. Punctual as always I see.” Jane Lewis allowed the small smile to grow slightly on her face. She couldn’t help but to be early to things. No matter how hard she planned, she always ended up being early. She honestly couldn’t help it. “My apologies, Professor” Jane said. “No need for apologies, Ms. Lewis, there is no crime in being early. That, at least, is a much better habit than being late” McGonagall answered back. “Now,” McGonagall continued “I’m sure that Professor Dumbledore is waiting for us. I see you didn’t send your trunk along before you, we can drop it off with Mr. Filch on the way”. Jane again flashed her winning smirk. “You think of me as stubborn, Professor, for not sending my trunk ahead…” McGonagall’s eyes grew at the fact that this young girl could read into her so easily. Jane continued “…I see it not so much as stubbornness, but as more of a distrust for society as a whole.” And with that, the two entered the gait, and were on their way to the castle.   
\---

Minerva left Jane at the entrance to Dumbledore’s office. She had some other business to attend to, and had no doubt that the woman would be able to handle her own. The walk to the castle had been uneventful after their first exchange, merely pleasantries that were more akin to be found between colleagues than professor and student. My, the girl had grown up so much. Minerva always knew that the girl would be special, everyone did, but the drastic changes that had overcome the now young woman over just two years had astounded Professor McGonagall.   
Two years ago, Dumbledore had privately asked Minerva to take a trip to the United States to meet a young girl that a close confidant of Dumbledore’s had taken special interest in at the Mateo school of wizardry. At the age of 15 this girl was already in the next to final year at Mateo, surpassing all of the years before her with ease and surprising wit. Dumbledore’s confidant, D’Marcus Farling, was almost frightened by the ease with which the young witch learned her craft, and knew that the young girl would be far more powerful than any witch or wizard her age. She might even grow up to rival the most powerful wizards of the era. And that’s why Dumbledore had sent Minerva – to invite the witch to attend her seventeenth year at Hogwarts while waiting to attend University, who took no witches or wizards under 18, no matter how exceptional they were. Minerva was told by Dumbledore that it would be a good way to expand this young powerful witch’s horizon while waiting for higher education to accept her, but Minerva had a slight suspicion that Dumbledore held other motives as well.   
Minerva reminisced of her first encounter of Jane Lewis while attending to her other duties. She remembered how the girl had held her gaze with such confidence upon meeting her. Such confidence in the young witch was already odd because of her age – almost all fifteen-year-old witches held self-esteem issues. But, this confidence was also special because it held no air of arrogance or boast of power. This was the feat of someone way beyond the girl’s time, and it has astonished Minerva. Professor McGonagall relayed Dumbledore’s message to the young girl, who readily accepted the invitation. The girl was no dummy, and knew what an honor it was to be personally asked to attend a foreign institution like Hogwarts after already graduating from a magic school, which she would undoubtedly accomplish in a short time. The girl had no one to consult on the matter of whether she could go or not, as she held full autonomy over herself. She had no parents – she had been abandoned shortly after her second year of life. She had been in foster care until her tenth birthday, when she had been whisked away into Mateo school of wizardry, under the close tutelage of D’Marcus Farling, who saw her potential from the moment the girl first stepped onto the school grounds. Farling had stood as her guardian until the age of fourteen, when the girl had shown more than enough intelligence to decide things for herself, and then on only stood as a guardian on paper. However, Jane respected the man far more than anyone else she had ever met, and saw him as a parent of sorts. She secretly had the intuition that Farling had been speaking to Dumbledore for quite some time about her, and this was one of the driving factors to her accepting Dumbledore’s invitation. She also knew that Dumbledore did not come to see her for himself, and this irked her a bit. However, she enjoyed meeting Professor McGonagall and saw why Dumbledore held her in such high esteem. When Jane Lewis held Minerva McGonagall’s gaze for the first time, she could feel that Minerva was extremely powerful as well.   
\---

Jane stood outside of Professor Dumbledore’s office. She knew she didn’t have to knock, and that the door would open when Dumbledore wished for her to enter. Even she didn’t know how she knew these sorts of things, but she knew and she listened to this knowledge. Suddenly, the door opened, and she entered the large office. Dumbledore had been sitting behind his large writing desk, but started to rise as Jane Lewis entered the chamber. “Ah! Miss Lewis! It is such a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance! I do hope your journey was enjoyable” Dumbledore greeted.   
“Hello, Professor Dumbledore. It is wonderful to finally meet you as well” Jane smiled her winning smile once again. “Indeed my trip was as enjoyable as trips alone can be. I visited quite a few monuments on my way in. And the weather here is gorgeous. Thank you again for the invitation to join your school while I wait to become of age for University”.   
“And thank you for accepting, Miss Lewis. Now, if you don’t mind, lets take care of a few things.”  
“Ah! Do you mean to tell me you wished to see me upon my arrival to your prestigious school for reasons other than to welcome me?!” her question was posed for fun, not malice.   
“But of course, Miss Lewis, I have always wished to meet you, but it seems that we have some duties to attend to related to your entrance to Hogwarts, and these should be dealt with firsthand by us both before you start to attend class”  
“and what might that be, Professor?” Jane was genuinely intrigued by the old wizard’s directness, and enjoyed it thoroughly.   
“Well, there’s the sorting, of course! To see what house you shall live in while here at Hogwarts!” The old wizard smiled so wide, that Jane cracked a bit of a grin herself.   
“By all means, sort away” she quipped back to Dumbledore, and chuckled a bit.   
They had gotten off to a good start, the young witch and the old wizard. Dumbledore had been somewhat nervous to meet the young witch, hearing all about her power from D’Marcus Farling. He was afraid she would be just like the powerful young boy he had met all those years ago, named Tom Riddle. But, as things had gone so far, some of his fear was quelled as he reached up to grab the sorting hat from the top shelf. Dumbledore motioned for Jane to sit down in an armchair across from the large desk, and she did so with her natural confidence. When Dumbledore placed the hat on top of her head, she seemed intrigued, but not frightened like the younger kids usually were. Perhaps that was due to her being seventeen. However, Dumbledore had suspicions that this was not the case.   
Jane could feel the strange hat searching her mind, and she welcomed it in by unlocking the doors to the depths of her mind that she usually kept securely bound. She could feel the hat’s gratitude for not having to fight its way through the locks of her mind, and she silently allowed the hat to roam in her thoughts for a bit. Then, surprisingly, the hat spoke to her in her mind.   
“I see that you are a very complex creature, Miss Lewis”  
“I appreciate that --, urgh, hat? Forgive me, I do not know your name”   
“My name is of no consequence, Miss Lewis. ‘Hat’ should do”  
“Okay then, Hat, I appreciate your acknowledgement of my complexity, and I give the same to you”  
“hahaha! and wit as well! I do so enjoy your mind. Thank you for not forcing me to unlock all of your secret depths and thoughts. It does get tiring after a while”  
“well you are quite welcome, Hat, as it might have been impossible for you to enter into some of those depths at all with the locks that were on it!”  
“Surprisingly, I agree with you Miss Lewis, and as such this adds to your complexity. As well as the fact that you are not arrogant about your power”  
“Please, Hat, call me Jane, as how can we have such formalities with you inside my innermost workings?!”  
The hat chuckled again, and continue his quest. Dumbledore was sitting in the chair next to Jane’s as this whole endeavor was going on, quietly watching with eager anticipation of the results. It felt like they had been sitting this way for ages, and indeed it had been a good twenty minutes. The Hat was still there, searching the workings of Jane Lewis’s mind.   
“Hat?”  
“Hmmm?”  
“if you don’t mind me asking, is there anything I can help you sort out? I feel that Headmaster Dumbledore is getting anxious waiting”  
“haha! Now the sorted is helping the sorter. How ironic. But yes, Jane, I feel that you know your own mind well enough to help me with my dilemma. As you know, there are four houses in Hogwarts. I have narrowed you down to two. You are not at all a Hufflepuff, for you are too powerful and honest to always be loyal. And you are not at all a Gryffindor, for you don’t have many reasons to be brave, as you don’t have to fear much. So that leaves me with Ravenclaw and Slytherin. You would be wonderful in Ravenclaw, because you are extremely intelligent and learn very quickly. But, you would also be amazing in Slytherin, because you are cunning, sarcastic, and a bit ruthless. So, I’m not sure how to proceed. Any suggestions?”  
Jane Lewis thought for a moment, and then spoke in her mind “…In which one would I learn more? Not just academically, but in life?”   
The hat paused for a moment. “…Slytherin it is”.   
\---

Jane had received her own room in the Slytherin house, as Dumbledore feared her being irked by the less mature students. Farling had told him of her temper, and Dumbledore still had a bit of fear regarding this powerful young witch. Her trunk was in her room, delivered without a scratch by Mr. Filch. This made Jane smile, as she explored her new room. There were two dressers in the room, one empty, presumably meant for Jane’s own clothes, and one filled with all the parts of a Hogwarts uniform, emblazoned by the Slytherin green. Jane was enthralled that the Hat had allowed her to be a part of her choice of house, and couldn’t wait to meet her fellow Slytherins. After all, even at Mateo she had heard that many powerful witches and wizards came from the Slytherin house of Hogwarts. Along with the two dressers stood a large desk, a bookshelf, and a huge king sized bed. Jane unpacked her things magically with a wave of her hand, placing her clothes in the dresser, her schoolbooks and personal volumes upon the bookshelf, and her picture of D’Marcus Farling on her desk. She was satisfied with her work. Although she missed Farling already, she could definitely see herself living here for a year. It was a gorgeous room, after all. She looked at the clock and noticed that is was already half past six. She had spent a good time conversing with Dumbledore after they had finished the intricacies of allowing her to start at Hogwarts. She realized she was hungry, and decided to make her way to the common room to try to find someone to take her to get some dinner.   
As she entered the common room, many heads turned to stare at the new seventeen-year-old they had never seen before. Murmurs started to move throughout the room. Jane was used to this, as they used to murmur about her at Mateo as well. She met eyes with a few of the students, but each looked away as soon as they met her gaze. However, when her eyes met the gaze of a blonde boy with a smirk on his face, he held her stare. Jane walked over to the boy, and greeted him with a smile.   
“I’ve never seen you before. I would know if I had” stated the blonde boy.  
“Yes, I’m new. My name is Jane Lewis. It’s nice to meet you.”   
The boy’s smirk grew a bit wider. “My name is Draco Malfoy. It is a pleasure to meet you, Jane.”  
“And to you as well” Jane stated back, holding the boy’s gaze still.   
“We were just about to go to the great hall for supper” Draco motioned to two lumbering boys and a tall thin boy behind him. “would you care to join us?”   
Jane smiled once more “I’d love to. I’m famished” 

 

When they reached the great hall, they entered as a group, Draco leading the pack, with Jane by his side, and the three other boys left trailing behind them. As Draco moved to sit at the table furthest to the left, the tall lanky boy slipped past Jane and attempted to sit next to Draco. Draco gave him an icy stare and stated “now Blaze, why don’t you move over a bit and let Jane sit by me”. Blaze merely nodded and slid over so that Jane could sit between the two. She thanked Blaze with a small smile and sat on the bench. The two lumbering boys sat across from Draco on the other side of the table. Jane could feel many pairs of eyes on her at the moment. It was not often that students transferred to Hogwarts after the first year or two. However, Jane could feel one particularly extremely powerful gaze coming from her right side. She looked past Draco for a second, searching for the eyes that she felt. She quickly scanned all the students at the Slytherin table and figured that none of them were the culprit. She continued to raise her eyes, and met the powerful gaze she felt, in the form of a lanky older man dressed in all black with raven black hair sitting at the head table. She held his gaze for several moments before breaking it to reply to Draco’s questions. She would have to remember to find out who this powerful wizard was.  
“So, where did you transfer from, Jane?” Draco asked, seeming to be extremely interested in what she had to say. He didn’t stop looking at her the whole time he spoke to her, not even to reach for a plate.   
“from the United States. Washington, to be exact. I was a student at Mateo school of wizardry there”   
“and what made you transfer?”  
“I actually finished my studies there at the end of last term, and graduated. But University doesn’t take students under eighteen, so Dumbledore invited me to come to come to Hogwarts for my interim year to continue my studies”   
“Wow. It’s quite impressive that you already graduated before the age of eighteen. You must be very smart. Or very cunning”  
“or both” Jane smirked a smile similar to Draco’s, and this made Draco chuckle.   
“You are very beautiful” The other boys of the group grew wide eyed at his boldness, but quickly gained their composure. Draco was a very forward man, and Jane liked that in a person.   
“Well thank you. You aren’t horrible to look at yourself” Jane said this with a straight face, and this made Draco burst out in laughing. Draco was extremely handsome, but Jane did not want to add to the slight arrogance she sensed in the boy.   
Jane was not a typical beauty. She was a little taller than average, but not Amazonian. She stood at about 173 centimeters. She had dirty blonde hair that was still in a bun from her journey this morning. When not pinned up, her hair was extremely curly and went to about the middle of her back. She was not skinny by any means. She was curvaceous, with a few extra pounds around her hips and thighs. Her eyes were a light grey that could be mistaken for blue or green in certain lights. Her skin was decently pale with some olive tones in it. Her hair and skin together make it so that one could tell that her heritage was not completely Anglo-Saxon. She wasn’t ugly by any means. In fact, she was very pretty. But it was probably her confidence that made others see her as extremely beautiful, like Draco did now. After a few more minutes of discussion, the pair turned to the table to eat their supper, but still maintained pleasant conversation throughout the rest of the meal. Jane learned that the two lumbering boys were named Crabbe and Goyle, and this made Jane laugh a bit because their names were fitting to their large imposing statures. As she heard earlier, the lanky boy with the olive skin was named Blaze. He had joined in on the two’s conversation after a few minutes, but the two lumbering boys sat quietly while scarfing down their food.


	2. Brewing Tension

When morning came, Jane was excited to start classes. She was good at every subject she studied, and was truly exceptional in quite a few of them. When she awoke, she showered and got dressed in the first time in the Slytherin robes that were in the second dresser. Once ready, she headed out to the common room. Draco Malfoy was there, and seemed to have been waiting for her because he stood up as soon as he saw her. He was alone this time.   
“well, hello again” Jane stated to the boy  
“Good Morning, Jane” Draco stated.   
“I didn’t expect you to be up this early, in all honesty” Jane replied  
“I looked up your schedule after dinner last night, and saw that we were both going to be in advanced potions this morning, so I decided that we could go get breakfast together beforehand” his boldness once again made Jane smile. She thought his forwardness was endearing, even if it was misplaced, as she made all her own decisions. But his cockiness was cute. It went along with his smirk.   
“oh you decided, did you? What if I’m not hungry?” and she smiled again  
“aren’t you hungry?” He asked, matching her smirk with one of his own  
“Yes. But, just know that I could say no if I wanted to” Jane said with a straight face.   
“I think you might have trouble saying no to me” Draco stated  
she kept her straight face this time. He had to know that she was serious when she said “Oh trust me. I don’t have trouble saying no to anyone”   
and with that she took his arm, and the two walked side by side to the great hall, exchanging pleasantries as before. The great hall was pretty empty, as most of the students didn’t have class this early in the morning. Therefore, that powerful stare was much easier to feel this time around. Jane once again met the commanding wizard’s stare, and held it for much longer this time. The wizard did not smile, and so neither did she. But the gaze did not feel malicious at all. She rather quite enjoyed it. But then, she once again had to break the eye contact in order to respond to Draco’s conversation. The strong gaze of the wizard followed the two as they left the great hall to head to class. Jane was excited. Potions was one of the subjects she was extremely exceptional in. 

Jane and Draco descended deeper and deeper into the castle, into the dungeons. Jane thought this was a rather fitting place to hold potions class, as the dark dungeon mirrored the mystery that potion making represented. She found the illusion beautiful, and was thankful for the thought that must have gone into the placement of this class. She couldn’t wait to meet whoever the advanced potion master was, so that she could start again on her advanced skills. Jane knew the importance of potions and loved it enduringly. She knew in her mind that whatever professor taught this class would share her love for the art. Draco and she were the last of the fifteen advanced potion students to enter the classroom, and took the two adjacent tables in the middle that seemed to have been left empty just for them. Since there was so few of them, each student had their own bench and table to themselves. Draco sat on the part of his bench nearest to Jane, and the two continued to talk until the door behind them slammed open.   
The dark haired wizard whose gaze she had found upon herself twice now strutted through the class to the teacher’s desk without muttering a word. He then turned around slowly, and began to speak. “It is the beginning of a new term, and we will therefore have an assignment to see where each of you stand in your potion making abilities at the present moment” the dark haired wizard stated matter-of-factly. A groan was heard throughout the classroom from some of the students, but Draco merely smirked, and Jane was positively thrilled. “each of you have the choice to attempt two of the five potions listed on the board” as he said this, he waved his hand and upon the chalkboard words started to come into view. “they increase in complexity and difficulty as you go down the list. I advise you not to try the fifth one unless you are extremely… confident… in your abilities. Pick two of the potions and brew them before the end of the lesson. Bottle a sample of each one you brew and bring it to me within the last five minutes of class. I will evaluate your work and tell each of you where you stand before you leave class today. If you are unable to brew correctly at least the two simplest potions on this list, you do not need to be in this class. Now…” he scanned across the room at many nervous faces “begin”.   
Jane started her own two potions as soon as the professor had uttered the word “begin”. She now had two reasons to do extremely well on this assignment. Her first reason was to prove to herself that she hadn’t lost any of her acquired skills from being out of class all summer. The second motive was that for some reason unbeknownst to her, she had the urge to impress the dark haired wizard who had stared at her twice during meals and had not even offered his name at the beginning of the lesson. She wanted this powerful man to know that she was a good student and was on her way to becoming an extremely powerful witch. For these two reasons she had decided to brew the two most difficult potions on the list of five, despite the wizard’s warning. She was in fact confident of her skills and knew she could handle both in the time allowed. After looking up the potions in her book, she decided to brew the fourth potion before attempting the fifth on the list, because she had practiced brewing it several times over the summer and she knew she could brew it in just under an hour. She completed the first potion with ease, and as she gathered the ingredients for the most difficult potion, she looked over to see which two potions Draco had chosen to brew. She saw the ingredients he chose were for the third and forth potion, and was happy that he had not taken the easy way out like many of the other students had done. Then, Jane got back to work. She knew that it would be difficult to complete this last potion in only two hours, but her intuition told her that she could do it. Jane blocked out everything from her surroundings, including the powerful stare that was once again upon her. After the first few ingredients she didn’t even look at the recipe anymore. She let her natural potions ability and intuition guide her, and it served her well. It was two minutes before class was finished, and everyone else had already turned in their work and been evaluated by the professor. Jane had finally finished the last steps of the difficult potion, and was now bottling her sample to take to the professor.   
The professor did not offer a smile as Jane brought up her samples. He regarded them with scrutiny, and was unable to find fault with either of them. He then turned his gaze once more to the woman.  
“You are new to Hogwarts.” He stated mater-of-factly.  
“yes.” Jane simply replied. She knew that the wizard wanted to lead the conversation, and allowed him to do so, as it was taking place in front of fourteen other advanced potions students.   
“What is your name?” The professor asked  
“Jane Lewis” she replied.  
“Miss Lewis, your brewing is… quite beyond my expectations. Stay after class and speak with me about your earlier instruction”  
“Yes, Professor” Jane stated, and headed back to her bench. Draco smirked at her, and she smiled back at him.   
“Each of you must now write two roles of parchment on the potions you chose to brew, about the properties of the ingredients used and the purpose of the potion. This will be due upon your next lesson” a collective groan was once again heard in the class. “you are dismissed” the professor stated, and everyone except Draco and Jane bolted for the door. Draco got up slowly and spoke to Jane.   
“Do you think you can find your way back to the common room, beautiful?”  
“I’m sure I can manage” Jane stated  
“I’ll wait for you there. We can have lunch together. That is, if you don’t say no”. Draco then smirked his infamous smirk once again  
“That sounds fine to me, Draco” Jane stated plainly with a smile, and with this Draco waltzed out of the room.   
\---

Draco, knowing the professor obviously wanted to speak to Jane in private, closed the door on his way out. Jane stayed seated at her table, allowing the professor to make the first move. Every encounter with this man seemed like a monumental game of chess, and Jane wanted him to think that he had the upper hand. The professor stayed seated at his desk for a moment, studying the woman. He thought she was exquisite. She had a rare talent for potion making, one he hadn’t seen the likes of since, …well, since himself. The professor had noticed when she no longer used the textbook and started to you her intuition to guide her work. It had been a gorgeous site to watch, this beautiful witch so engrossed in her craft. And her work had come out perfect. He wanted to know everything about the young witch, academically and otherwise. But he had to go about it the correct way. He had to keep the upper hand. He could tell this witch was powerful.   
“Miss Lewis…”  
“yes professor… I’m sorry, I do not know your name.”  
“My name, Miss Lewis” (he liked how her name sounded on his lips) “is Severus Snape”  
“It is good to make your acquaintance, Professor Snape”   
Snape now stood from his desk, and meandered slowly to the table where Jane sat.   
“tell me… Miss Lewis, what brought you to Hogwarts” Dumbledore hadn’t filled any of the teachers in on Jane’s situation, because he did not want to bias them against her talents. Jane relayed her story of graduating from Mateo early, and coming to Hogwarts as an interim until she could go to University.   
“That is indeed impressive” Snape stated shortly. He noticed that she did not boast in her accomplishments. He liked that about her. He sat down at the bench across from her and peered into her eyes as he spoke  
“I did not know that Mateo produced such advanced students in potions”   
“To be honest, professor, I was alone in the advanced studies at Mateo.” This caused the professor to raise his brow slightly.  
“I mean, there are advanced classes, and I finished those in my fifteenth year. I have been under the tutelage of D’Marcus Farling since then. He allowed me to study subjects as I saw fit, as long as I studied all of them to some extent”   
“I have never met Professor Farling, but I have heard much about him” Snape answered.   
“He is a wonderful man” A twinge of jealousy enveloped Snape. She had obviously been close to the man. His Slytherin mind went to work imagining the relationship they may have had. But, then Jane continued.   
“He is like a father to me” this brought back up Snape’s spirits. Snape had an idea. He would run it by Dumbledore first of course, but he could see a way of how to get closer to the young witch.   
Snape waited outside Dumbledore’s door, concealing his emotions before entering. He was excited about the idea that popped into his head, but he did not want the headmaster to know just how much this prospect thrilled him. Once his composure was to his normal state of aloofness, he entered the headmaster’s office.   
“Ah! Severus, is everything alright?”   
“yes, Headmaster”  
“You must have met our new student during Advanced potions today”   
“That’s actually what I came to speak to you about, Headmaster. Miss Lewis is… quite beyond my expectations for any student. She can already brew potions I hoped to teach near the end of this term. I… feel that she would benefit tremendously from extra lessons, as she is… already above at least half of what I plan on teaching in advanced potions”  
Dumbledore looked into Snape’s eyes for a moment, smiling slightly. He knew that the young woman would impress all of her professors here, as she did at Mateo. But, he thought that Snape would have been the least impressed. He paused for a moment, thinking about Snape’s idea.   
“I think that is a wonderful idea, Severus. If she is as advanced as you say she is, Miss Lewis could gain a lot of knowledge from personal lessons with you. This could prepare her to take advanced potions at University next year and bypass ordinary potions altogether.”   
This made Severus Snape smirk, ever-so-slightly, although he hid it as soon as he was aware of it’s presence upon his face. Dumbledore pretended not to notice this reaction. Snape nodded his head, bid the headmaster farewell, and excused himself from the office. Now Snape envisioned in his head how to bring this up to Jane Lewis. However, he had a very strong feeling that she would be more than enthused to have extra lessons.   
Jane made her way back to the Slytherin common room after her conversation with Professor Snape. Draco was sitting on a couch, arms relaxed over the back, speaking with a girl who was standing near him. He had a mixture of a glare and a smirk on his face. Jane watched his expression with interest as she walked slowly over to the couch. When Jane came into Draco’s view, he clearly dismissed the girl with a few words and a harsh look, and stood up. Jane smirked at him but stood silent.   
“that was Pansy. We used to… hang out sometimes last term, and I guess she assumed that meant that we were dating or something. I had to set her right” Draco explained. Jane chuckled some, and took the arm that Draco offered her. They continued to discuss the matter as they walked to the great hall for lunch. Jane spoke to Draco, looking him dead in the eye.   
“I don’t understand some people, Draco. Why does everyone always want to label things, especially people and relationships. Bonds between people should be allowed to remain in their natural state, without labels. ‘oh, he is my boyfriend, she is my girlfriend, we are together’ blah blah blah. It’s hideous.”  
Draco kept her gaze as she stated these things. He smiled big when he realized that she was on his side in this situation. Most girls would have been on Pansy’s side, and said that Draco had lead her on or used her or something. Jane really was a Slytherin at heart. “I couldn’t agree more, Jane” he stated simply, and they changed the subject as they joined Blaise and the others at the Slytherin table.   
\---

It was the second day of advanced potions, and Jane and Draco again entered the classroom together and sat in the same seats as last time. Jane wondered at this for a moment, interested in whether the other students had chosen their own seats for personal reasons, or if Draco had some kind of power over them and made it known that he wanted these two seats. She made a mental note to ask him about this later. When Snape entered the classroom this time, he did so without as much flourish as he had on the first day. Jane wondered if that meant he had been in a bad mood the first day, or if he had just wanted to assert dominance over the class before he began to teach them. Jane was perplexed by the man. She had to admit that his power was intoxicating. She had held his gaze on several occasions since the last potions class, twice in the great hall during meals and once in passing him in the hallway while heading to another class. His stare was great and powerful and intense, but it held no malice or ill-will like it might have for another student. She was used to stares from other witches and wizards, as she had experienced it at Mateo. People could usually tell she was different and they disliked her for it. But Snape’s stare was different. She had to admit that she enjoyed meeting his eyes.   
Class went along smoothly. It was advanced potions, so Professor Snape felt that no one was in danger of blowing up the class, which was the fear he always had in regular potions. Snape meant to start out with a hard potion in order to set the standard of the rigor of the class he planned to teach. Everyone seemed to be struggling a bit with the potion of the day. Well, everyone but Jane Lewis. Her face was determined and there was no trace of a smile on it, but she did not look flustered or deterred like the other students. Snape enjoyed watching her especially, and recognized immediately when she once again allowed her instincts to take over in her brewing. Snape thought she was mesmerizing in this state of almost hypnotic concentration. He wished he could keep watching her forever, and this made him even more enthused about bringing up the prospect of private lessons with her.   
As class finished up and the students turned in their samples to him, he once again asked Jane to stay behind for a moment. Draco looked at her, and she nodded, seeming to tell him that she would meet him in the common room like last time. He smirked and shut the door on his way out. Draco wondered for a moment why the professor had once again asked Jane to stay after class, but then he realized that it was because she was an amazing student, and he probably was just asking her where she learned such skills at potion making. He was going to ask her about her conversation with the professor if she did not volunteer the information when she got back to the common room.   
Professor Snape once again walked up to where Jane was sitting when Draco left the classroom. He wondered what went on between the two students, as they always seemed to be together. He felt a twinge of jealousy and hoped that Miss Lewis was not romantically involved with him. This thought confused him greatly. Did it mean that he was attracted to this witch? He was certainly intrigued by her to say the least.   
“Miss Lewis, I once again must commend you on your skillset in potion making”  
“Thank you, Professor Snape” Jane stated simply  
“I admit that you are already beyond what I planned on teaching this first term in advanced potions. I’m sure you have noticed that your classmates…struggled in the lesson today, while you seemed to flourish”   
Jane nodded her head, keeping her eyes traced on the professor’s, never leaving his gaze.   
“This means that you may not get as much profit from advanced potions as you could. I feel that you would benefit from one on one lessons with me, where we can focus on getting you ready for advanced potions at University.”  
Snape fell silent after this. He watched as a small smile played on Jane’s lips. “I would be very grateful for the opportunity to work with you one-on-one, Professor Snape.” Jane was happy about this arrangement for several reasons. First, she absolutely loved potion making. It was one of her favorite subjects and she obviously excelled at it. Second, she wanted to work along this powerful man. She wanted to get to know the man who held her gaze. His eyes were so… intense. Professor Snape had to try hard not to let a smile cross his face. He knew that she would agree to these lessons, and yet he was still overly excited to hear her answer. It confused him so. “Very well, Miss Lewis. Let’s start this evening. After supper. eight o’clock.”  
Jane walked back to the common room, where Draco was once again waiting. “Hello again, lovely” he stated when Jane sat down right next to him on the couch. She felt so comfortable with this blonde haired boy, and she knew why. He accepted her for who she was. He held no qualms about her being different. And, he really did find her beautiful. Jane swung her legs over Draco’s lap and sat sideways to him. Draco placed his hands upon her legs and waited for her to speak.   
“Professor Snape is going to give me extra lessons in potions, so that I can bypass regular potions when I go to University and take advanced potions instead.” Draco felt a little twinge of jealousy, as this would mean Jane would spend more time in the classroom and less time with him. He didn’t want to tell her this though. He didn’t want her to think that he was against her academic achievement. “That’s wonderful, Jane. I’m glad that you are being given the chance to further harness your abilities.” Jane stared at him for a moment. Draco felt like her eyes could look through his soul if she stared hard enough. She stayed quiet, staring at him like this for almost a whole minute. Then, she stated plainly “I’ll still have time for you, Draco. You know you’re my dearest and really my only friend here”. Draco wasn’t really that astonished that she could read him so well. She was full of amazing power that he couldn’t even imagine all that she was capable of. God, she was a gorgeous specimen. He smirked at her, and brought her close to him in an embrace. They stayed like that for several minutes, despite all the stares. When Draco finally released Jane from the hug, she looked at him and smiled. She was so happy that he accepted her for who she was.   
\---

It was the third private lesson between Jane and Professor Snape. The lesson started out the same as always. Snape asked if Jane had read the theoretical content that he assigned her last lesson. She affirmed, and they discussed the content for several minutes. Once Professor Snape was satisfied that Jane understood the concept, He helped her gather the ingredients she needed for the potion they were going to brew this evening. Then, Snape sat at his desk to grade some papers while Jane began the first elementary steps of brewing the evening’s potion. She would call him over when the potion was ready for the most crucial final steps that were related to the theory they discussed earlier. Jane stirred the potion slowly, waiting for the brew to reach its proper temperature and consistency. She began to mull over the last few lessons that she had with Professor Snape. Jane felt very comfortable with the man, ever since they began to converse during their first private lesson. She could tell that he was extremely intelligent and quick witted, and accepting of her as an individual. But, what was more amazing about the man is that he seemed to not just accept her ability, but really wanted to help her expand her power beyond that of which she was already capable. This made her want to know the Professor even further. Although this was only the third lesson, Jane felt that she had Professor Snape had already made a wonderful connection.   
She then decided that she was going to ensure that her assumptions were correct. “Professor Snape?” Jane questioned quietly but firmly. Snape knew that she couldn’t be ready for the final steps of the brew yet, so he simply responded “hmmm?”. Jane paused for a moment. Then she continued. “May I… address you as Severus?” This made Snape look up and deadlock onto her eyes. He mulled over her request for a minute. Professor Snape knew that he should be outraged by this request for informality. If it was any other student, he would have chastised them immediately. But Jane Lewis was different. God, she was so different. He then realized that the connection he had felt over the last few lessons had been felt by Miss Lewis as well, and then realized that he really did enjoy how his name sounded in the young witch’s mouth. He then nodded his head briefly, and stated “only in our private lessons though. In class and in public you must address me formally as Professor Snape”. Jane felt a small smile cross her lips briefly, but then she forced her face to become serious once more when she stated “Of course. I wouldn’t dream of addressing you informally in public”. Jane then went back to brewing her potion, and Severus feigned going back to grading essays, and was instead trying hard to suppress a smile. He was extremely happy that she had felt the same bond forming that he had. Jane, after thinking for a few more moments, looked over at her professor once again. “Severus?” she asked. “Yes, Miss Lewis?” Severus replied. Jane gave him a small smile and asked “Will you call me Jane?” Severus gave a nod and a small grunt, and then stated “the same rules apply, Jane”. God, he loved how her name sounded in his mouth almost as much as the sound of ‘Severus’ coming from her lips. Jane nodded back towards him slightly, and then went back to the task at hand.   
After about twenty more minutes of silence, the potion was ready for it’s final steps. Jane looked over at her professor, and called to him once again. “Severus?” she said. He looked up at her from the essay he was reading. “It’s ready” Jane stated. Severus stood and walked quickly over to the cauldron, peering in at it’s contents. The brew was a deep black color, blacker than even the robes on his back. It was indeed ready. “Take hold of the Carpinus caroliniana leaves” he stated to Jane, and she gripped them in her hands. “Now, as we discussed,” Severus said “drop them in one at a time. But wait for each one to dissolve completely before you drop in the next one” Jane did as her professor said, bracing herself about six inches above the brew, and dropping the orange leaves in one by one. When she was almost finished, Severus stated “now drop the last two in together as soon as that last one dissolves, and then back up quickly.” Jane again followed his instructions perfectly, and stepped back as soon as the last two leaves hit the black surface of the liquid. A large cloud of black smoke started to billow straight up from the brew. It grew with more and more force and speed and the cloud reached the ceiling in seconds. It then turned to a dark grey and then a dark green and then onto a bright white smoke, increasing it’s force the entire time. Jane gripped Severus’s arm momentarily with excitement, as the smoke started to slow its ascent. She let go quickly, and Snape glanced at her, watching how a little smile played on her lips as she watched the sight at hand. This, her true smile, was so gorgeous and much more true than the polite smile he had seen her give to others. She was feeling true pleasure from their work, and God he found that gorgeous. He wished she had kept her hand on his arm longer, but was pleased that she was comfortable enough with him to show this small moment of affection. When the smoke finally stopped, the pair went to bottle the brew. Jane was astonished to see that the once deep black brew now had tiny specks of fluorescent white inside of it now. When placed in the flasks, it looked like a small piece of the night sky had been taken from the heavens and bottled before them. “It’s beautiful” Jane pronounced, her attention on the potion before them. Severus was still staring straight at Jane when he remarked back “indeed, beautiful”.


	3. Disassociation

Severus Snape sat at his desk watching Jane as she worked on the evening’s potion. It had been a week since the evening where she had grabbed his arm. As he was watching her, he was comparing her actions in private to those he observed earlier that day in class. His main concern was that she seemed to only use her wand when she was in class with other students. So far in the last three private lessons, he had not once seen Jane produce her wand. This interested Severus greatly. What was the meaning of this? She obviously had the power and the knowledge to preform wand-less magic in her potion making, and yet she still brandished her wand, at least in class. “Jane” he stated simply. She looked up from the potion she was stirring by moving her right hand over the cauldron in a clockwise motion. She continued the motion as she answered him back “yes, Severus?”. He stared at her wordlessly, thinking about how to address his question. He decided to be blunt - she might appreciate his honesty. “Why do you display your wand in class to stir your potions and do other menial tasks, when you obviously… have no need to”. As he said the last phrase he motioned to her hand stirring the cauldron. Jane continued to stir, as she formed her answer on her lips. “Others… already stare at me… murmur about me… dislike me for my abilities. I feel no need to antagonize them further by the use of wand-less magic. So I take the menial step of pulling out my wand so that they won’t feel as threatened by me in class.” Severus kept his eyes locked on hers when he answered back “Someone with your… abilities… should never lower themselves for the sake of the feelings of mere… classmates. Do not deny your power, Jane. Do not forsake your abilities, that is an insult to yourself… as well as to other powerful witches and wizards.” Jane didn’t dare blink as Severus Snape admonished her for her reasoning. She could feel her temper start to rise momentarily, but as she kept contact with those black orbs that pierced her grey ones, that anger diffused into the knowledge that he was correct in his reasoning. “You are right, Severus. Please forgive me for my foolishness.” Severus was slightly shocked by her response. He assumed that Jane would become angry with him, scorn him for not understanding her reasoning. He understood that she wanted to fit in. But, she never would fit in with those who were average. She would only ever fit in with those who were just as exceptional as she. And unfortunately, that would only ever be a handful of people. What astonished himself was the realization that he wanted to be in that handful of people that this young witch would trust and relate to. Severus needed to show her just how powerful she was, just how powerful he was, and just how powerful they could be together.   
“You need to see… what you are capable of. Come back tomorrow evening and every evening afterwards. We… are going to brew the disassociation potion.” Severus had only brewed this potion a few times in his years as a potions master. But, he knew that Jane and he together would be able to produce the potion perfectly. “Severus!” Jane stated with shock and excitement. She had read about the disassociation potion and had wanted to attempt in for years now, but had never felt like she would be able to do so on her own. Had he somehow known that this thought was always in the back of her mind, or had he come to the conclusion of this potion of his own accord? Either way, Jane was thrilled. It would take a long time and maximum effort, but it would be worth it.   
\---  
It was the third night in the process of brewing the disassociation potion. As always, Jane arrived early. That was her curse, after all. Severus Snape was sitting at his desk grading essays when she came into the classroom, closing the door behind her. “Early, as always, Jane” the professor spoke with a slight smirk on his face. “forgive me, Severus. I tried to wait longer than usual before leaving my room.” Severus nodded his head, accepting her apology, and looked her in the eyes. “It’s not time yet to continue with the potion, it needs to sit for an hour more before we can complete the next step.”   
“is there anything I can do to help you while we wait?” Jane asked.  
Severus paused for a moment. He enjoyed her willingness. “You can restock the student’s supply room. Come with me.” Severus took her to the large closed door on the other side of the room. He unlocked the door with his wand and turned to speak. “Here is my extra stock of all the ingredients for the supply room. Refill the supply room containers from these ones, but make sure to mark how much of each ingredient you take out.” Jane nodded her head, and with that the professor went back to his desk to finish grading essays. Jane moved swiftly back and forth from the student supply room to the extra stocks, refilling each container and marking off the ingredients. Severus enjoyed looking up to see her pass out of the slight of his eye. She looked so diligent in her work, but still retained a pleasant small smile on her face. When Severus finished his grading, he went to the stock room to see why Jane hadn’t come out after a few moments. As he went into the room, he noticed that Jane was attempting to reach the last bin on the top shelf, and it was evading her grasp. Severus silently slipped by her, placing one hand on the small of her back to let her know that he was behind her. He then reached up around her in the close quarters and grabbed the bin that she had been reaching for. She turned as he handed her the bin, and leaned against the corner of the door frame. Severus pressed against her as she took the bin from his hands, and they stared into each other’s eyes, holding the gaze for more than a minute before anyone spoke. Severus seemed to be looking for something in her gaze, imploring her to let him into her head. The walls around Jane’s thoughts were thoroughly up, and Jane let out a husky “Thank you”, while remaining in his gaze. Severus would not give up however. He leaned into her further and stated in his deep, proverbial growl “Let me in, Jane.” She kept his gaze, and acquiesced to his command, letting the walls around her thoughts dissolve.   
\---  
Severus Snape explored Jane’s mind for several minutes, and he reveled in what he saw. He saw the urge Jane had to please him and the love she had for her work. He also saw the way she acted with Draco and this made him jealous beyond belief. He saw in the depths of her mind something that she herself probably hadn’t realized yet- that she may develop feelings for the young man. But then Severus also saw the feelings she was developing for him. She was attracted to him just as he was to her. This gave him hope. Keeping her gaze still, he said “you go fill up that last container, and then let’s get to work”, but didn’t move from pressing her against the wall. They kept staring at each other, the air between them palpable. Severus then swiftly moved away and Jane dryly stated “right” and moved across to the other store room. Severus smirked at her flustered air.   
The pair then began to decant the dissociation potion they were brewing seven times. After this long process the two began to bottle the solution. Severus looked to Jane and smirked slightly. “Shall we test it?” He asked. Jane looked at him with surprise. The fact that this powerful man was willing to dissociate in her presence was enticing. She nodded her head and flashed him a winning smile. The two each took a vial of the liquid and stood apart about three feet away facing each other, pausing. Severus took the lead and swallowed the potion, and Jane followed right behind him. The solution worked perfectly. Their innermost beings ascended out of their bodies and showed themselves to each other. Jane saw the complexity of the man in front of her in all his glory. Powerful, tortured, intelligent. Severus saw Jane in all her splendor. Power beyond imagination, loneliness, but beyond that, a darkness that took him aback. So Jane did have a dark side. A strong one by the look of it. He would have to be careful with this young woman. Their innermost beings slowly descended back into their bodies as the potion wore off, and the two stood facing each other on the ground once again. They stood staring at each other for a long time, and then Severus moved swiftly towards the girl and kissed her firmly, grabbing her waste with one hand and gently grasping her hair with the other. Jane placed her hands on his chest and kissed him back with a fierceness that surprised him. The two kissed until a knock at the door brought them back to this reality. Severus growled low in his throat as he detached himself from Jane, and answered the door. It was a student with a message saying that Dumbledore wished to speak with Severus immediately. Severus dismissed the student, closed the door and turned back around toward Jane. He strutted back towards her so that their faces were only inches apart. “I don’t like to be interrupted” he growled towards her, and she smiled. “Alas…” he continued “it seems that I am.” The two stood staring at each other again. “I’ll finish bottling up the potion, Severus. And then ill put a disarming charm on the classroom until you come back to lock up.” Jane stated. Severus nodded, and then swiftly turned and exited the room. Jane finished bottling up the liquid, and then tidied up their work space. Leaving the classroom, she placed a spell on the door that would allow only Severus to open it, and smiled as she headed back to the common room.


	4. An Evening at Malfoy Manor

When Jane got back to the common room, Draco was waiting for her on his favorite couch. “Hello, beautiful” He stated, smirking. “Hello, Draco” Jane stated back, smiling. She then sat down next to him, and put her head on his shoulder. “Tired, love?” Draco asked. “mmm hmm” Jane mumbled. “Go to bed then, beautiful. But before you do, I have a question to ask you.” Jane raised her head and looked at him expectantly. “My father has requested that I come home this weekend. He said that I can bring a guest. I would like for you to come with me” Draco said. Jane smiled at him. “Sure, Draco. I’d like that.” She stated. “Great. We’ll leave tomorrow at noon then. Make sure you bring something formal to wear for dinner. My parents are a stickler for a formal dinner.” This made Jane laugh. “Now go to bed, love. You look positively exhausted” Draco continued. Jane nodded her head and headed for her room.   
\---  
The next morning, after breakfast, Jane went back to her room to pack a bag for her trip with Draco. At a few minutes past eleven, she went out to the common room to wait for Draco. He arrived moments after she sat down, as if he knew she would be early. Jane smiled wide when she saw Draco in a black button down shirt and black trousers, his robe laid over his arm. Jane had to admit that Draco looked good in all black. She laughed at the fact that they matched, as she was wearing a simple black knee length dress. She stood up to embrace Draco in greeting, and he kissed her on the cheek. “You look stunning, Jane” Draco stated. Jane chuckled and responded “Just wait until this evening then” and smirked. Draco responded with his own smirk, and reached to grab Jane’s bag. “Let’s be on our way then” He said, and Jane nodded in agreement. The two set off to the border of Hogwarts grounds, to the apperation point. Once they arrived to the designated spot, Draco turned and grasped Jane in a tight hug. A simple hand on the arm would have sufficed for apperation, but Draco would not let any excuse to touch Jane pass by. “Ready?” Draco asked. Jane nodded, and the two apperated. When Jane opened her eyes, she saw that they were outside a large iron gate surrounding a giant mansion. Draco unlocked the gate with his wand, and the two started to walk down the long path to the astounding house. Draco showed Jane to her room, directly across the hall from his room, of course. He left Jane to get settled, with the agreement that the two would meet back in the hall in a few minutes. Jane explored the room quickly with her eyes. It was a gorgeously decorated guest room, with black furniture with dark green accents. “A true Slytherin family…” Jane mused quietly. She set down her belongings, and went back into the hall to meet Draco. When he appeared from his room, he declared “My father and mother will not be home until this evening for dinner. Shall we go out?” Jane thought that was a splendid idea, and the two immediately embraced again to apperate to Diagon Alley. Jane looked around, awed by the site of all the stores and witches and wizards shopping in them. After they looked around in a few stores, Draco looked at Jane. “I want to show you my favorite store” he said. Draco took Jane down several long alleys, the environment growing dimmer and dimmer at each turn. They finally arrived at a small little shop in the middle of a desolate alley filled with similar small shops on either side. Draco took Jane’s hand and guided her through the entrance. Jane was amazed as they entered. The store had a dark quality to it, which inwardly enticed Jane’s dark side. As she looked around, a little glass case caught her attention. Inside were several necklaces and bracelets. One in particular stood out to her. It was a small dark green emerald on a black lace band. It was utterly gorgeous. It was like it was calling to Jane. She stood there staring at it for several minutes, yearning for it. Draco came over to see what she was looking at so thoroughly. “Isn’t it beautiful, Draco?” Jane mused quietly. “It is lovely… but it is not the loveliest thing in this store” he stated, looking directly at Jane as he said this. She blushed and smiled at him, and then returned to staring at the necklace. “Lawson” Draco called the shopkeeper over to the case. “I’d like to purchase this emerald”. Jane snapped her head to look directly at him. She opened her mouth to object, to say that he couldn’t possibly get this for her, but the look he gave her stopped her in her tracks. “This is one time…” Draco stated matter of factly “you are not allowed to say no.” “But…” she started to protest, “Jane!” he growled darkly. This made her shut her mouth once more. The shopkeeper opened the case, took out the necklace, and handed it to Draco. “turn around” he ordered Jane, and then placed the lace band around her neck. The emerald hung gently on her throat. The shop keeper Lawson produced a hand held mirror and showed the necklace to Jane. She was stunned to see that the necklace looked even more stunning on her bare throat. She was ecstatic. She turned around and embraced Draco tightly, putting all of her thanks into the hug. She kissed him on the cheek and he did the same, lingering his lips on her flesh for several moments. Draco then proceeded to buy several other objects from the store, and then the two left arm in arm. “We should return home now” Draco stated. “It is time to get ready for supper”.   
\---  
Jane was back in the guest room, slipping on her evening gown. It was a floor length black gown with sequins all over. The dress hugged her curves in all the right ways. As Jane looked in the floor length mirror, she noticed how the sparkles caught the light, and she imagined the night sky. It reminded her of one of the potions that she had brewed with Severus, and suddenly her mind was on the mysterious older man she had such a connection with. She was a little surprised that she missed him, missed the feel of his lips on hers from the night before. But then she again caught sight of the emerald on her neck, and she felt the stirrings of feelings for Draco. He just understood her so well. What was she to do? Oh well… she would not dwell on it. She should simply see how things progressed. It wasn’t like her to try to label things. She added black dangly earrings to the look, slipped on some small black heels, and French braided her hair to the back. Then a knock came to her door. She opened it, and saw Draco dressed in a black shirt, pants and vest with a green tie. Damn, he was handsome. Draco’s mouth opened slightly when he laid eyes on Jane. She looked absolutely gorgeous. “Jane… you look… amazing” He sighed. She smiled and stated “thank you, so do you”. Draco held out his arm, and Jane took it gratefully. They descended down a long staircase, and into a large dining room. Standing near the table were a gorgeous older blonde woman and an equally handsome blonde man, conversing quietly. As Draco and Jane entered, their conversation stopped quickly. Both the man and the woman stared at Jane, the man’s mouth slightly ajar with a smirk. Draco stated “Jane, these are my parents… Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy.” Jane shook Narcissa’s hand, and when she reached to do the same with Lucius, he took her hand and kissed it gently. “Draco has told me much about you, Jane… but he understated your beauty” Jane smiled gratefully, and then the four stood conversing near the long table, waiting for the other guests to arrive. About ten other wizards came to the house, all darkly clad and none bringing guests of any kind. Jane felt slightly out of place at the gathering, being the only other woman in the room besides the matron of the house. When the last guest arrived, Jane immediately felt his presence and the intense stare at the back of her head. She turned around to see none other than her sultry potions professor entering the manor. Their eyes locked, and she gave a small secret smile to her lovely teacher. She caught a secret little smirk flash across his face for a brief second. He looked so dapper in his all black button down shirt and black slacks. He kept her gaze the whole time he walked across the room, until he broke the stare to greet Lucius. The whole room full of people seemed to realize that the party was complete, and all moved to sit down at the table. Lucius took his place at the head of the table. Narcissa sat to the left of him, and Draco chose the seat to the right of Lucius. Severus took the seat next to Narcissa, and Jane took the seat next to Draco, so Severus and Jane were directly across from one another. Although the two were in their own conversations, Jane conversing with Draco and Severus conversing with Lucius and Narcissa, the two could not help but lock eyes every few minutes. A delicious red wine was served with the meal, and Jane felt herself get a little light headed. After the meal and drinks, the guests started to depart one by one. After another hour, the only ones left at the table were Lucius and his wife, Draco, Jane, and Severus. Lucius decided that the party should move to the drawing room, and there the five conversed for another hour or so. Lucius then stated “Draco, Jane, it is late. You two go on to bed”. Draco and Jane excused themselves and headed upstairs. When they got to the hall where their rooms were, Draco embraced Jane once again. The two stood hugging silently for a few minutes. Draco kissed her cheek once again, and then bid Jane good night. Jane went into her room and changed out of her dress into a t-shirt. After a few minutes decided she was thirsty. She was still pretty buzzed from the wine, and so she did not think to put on pants before heading downstairs to the kitchen. She obtained a glass from the cabinet and started to fill the glass with water, when a shadow appeared on the wall in front of her. She turned around to find her delicious potions master staring at her once again. “Hello again, Severus” she murmured quietly. He looked her up and down slowly, noting her lack of pants, and smirked. “You should be in bed, Jane. Not wandering the halls scantily clad.” Severus scolded her lightly. Jane looked down at herself, finally realizing what he meant. “I… was thirsty” she stated matter-of-factly. Severus chuckled lightly. His laugh was deep and throaty and utterly lovely to her ears. She had never heard him laugh before. It must have been the wine that loosened his tongue. He walked up to her slowly and fingered the emerald that still hung around her neck. “How is it…” he murmured in a low growl, “…that you make a t-shirt look even more delectable than an evening gown?” Jane blushed slightly but kept the professor’s gaze. He took her chin in his elegant hand and brought her face close to his, and brushed his lips against hers. Jane moaned slightly, not meaning to, and the professor took this as an invitation to kiss her more forcefully. Jane gripped onto his chest, and Severus pulled her close into himself and wrapped his arms around her, placing his palms on her lower back. The two stood kissing for several minutes, and then suddenly Severus detached himself from her, stared at her for a minute, and then left the kitchen. Jane was left with a stirring in her being that she had never felt before. And thoroughly frustrated, she took her glass of water back to her room.


End file.
